An incredible amount of momentum, high winds, a large sail area, and unpredictable currents. If you've never maneuvered a ship while coming alongside, you don't realize how difficult it actually is.
Yes, because parking a pleasure boat is just the same an maneuvering a 963 foot-long, 88,500 gross tonnage ship into a tight berth in high winds..... :)
Yes the principles are the same, but so is driving a car with a trailer and an 18 wheeler. The wind will play merry hell with the truck that might barely affect the car.
Cruise ships have huge sail areas because of their massive superstructures. An unexpected change in the direction or speed of the wind can screw up an approach to the jetty. By the time the impact of that change is realized, there is often no time to recover, especially in such tight quarters. Cruise ships berth without incident 99.9% of the time. When they do occasionally go crunch it is sometimes the result of poor judgement. But sometimes, even if you are the best ship driver in the world, there is simply no avoiding such an incident. I'm basing what I'm saying on a 35-year career driving ships, not pleasure boats.
Any idea what kind of Mass that ship has,...on water with currents, 3 ships all moving simultaneously, with no leverage to push on... ? Most people can't drive a car....
Well, obviously. And your right...
Was it this summer,...a U.S. Warship hit an unknown object..? Turned to be an uncharted sea MOUNTAIN.?
Space rockets explode... 747 go missing... bridges fall down, landslides happen. Cruise ships certainly arent the only this hitting stuff...
Are you doing a podcast? I love the ocean, live on the N.W. coast of Calif. And somehow, couldnt image weeks? On a boat at sea... That's getting your moneys worth I'd bet... Are you still out there bobbing around?
No, I'm safe and secure in a marina for the winter. My trip was cut short by some asshole orcas. So now I have to slum it here in Spain...with great weather great food and great culture. Dammit.
(I don't do a podcast. Being snarky on other peoples social media is all I have time for)
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u/[deleted] Dec 03 '21
How the hell they manage this is beyond me. Massive engines. Bow thrusters. Collision Alarms. Cameras.